This encounter begins when you hear angry shouting in the distance while walking the streets of an otherwise quieter section of [Name of City].
Running over to investigate will reveal an unusual sight: a freshly built cottage that has somehow been made to sit completely upside down.
Standing in front of the house are two gentleman. One is a fat, wealthy-looking aristocrat who is angrily wagging his pudgy, ringed finger and berating the other gentleman: a timid-looking wizard who is cowering and pleading for the man to relax.
If your party decides to intervene and ask what’s going on, they will learn that the aristocrat is furious because he hired the wizard the construct for him a new home and, well…(he will gesture to the house and let is speak for itself).
The wizard will apologize profusely and begin to explain that he’s new to this line of business but wanted to branch out from his tower at the university. He will claim that, during the build, he followed the blueprints very closely and attentively, but he was unfortunately looking at the blueprints upside down. The mistake didn’t occur to him until the entire home was created.
If your party decides to ask if he’s serious, the wizard can get defensive and just say “well, I did think it looked a little funny, but I assumed it would just sort of work itself out in the end, you know?” Alternatively, the wizard could start sobbing, saying that his parents were right when they lamented that their only son was “book smart” but had no common sense or practical knowledge.
At this point, the aristocrat will demand a refund. The wizard will apologize again, but then excitedly exclaim, “Wait, I have an idea!” He will reach into his bag, pull out a bangle of sorts, and clamp it around the wealthy man’s fat wrist.
Immediately, the man will launch up 100 feet into the air where he will start helplessly oscillating, demanding to be put back down on solid ground.
The wizard, just like what happened with the house, will realize his mistake a little too late. If your party demands to know what’s going on, the wizard will say that he clamped on a magic bangle that’s infused with a long-lasting “Reverse Gravity” spell. He will argue how he thought that, by reversing the owner, then he will have resolved the situation of the reversed house. “I realize now that there was probably a better solution”, he will say, squinting his eyes and looking up into the sky at the man.
Some details about this bangle (all of this being information that the wizard can provide if asked):
- It’s called the “Dangle Bangle” because it leaves the wearer dangling in the air
- The bangle only grants “reverse gravity” to the wearer of the bangle
- The bangle is time-release and cannot be removed until the locking mechanism disengages after 24 hours.
At this point, gold coins will start raining down from the floating man. If your party is more roguish than heroic, they may use this opportunity to acquire some ill-gotten gold and then be off on their merry way.
Otherwise, they will need to find a way to bring the man down safely and, somehow, keep him tied/weighed down, in as comfortable a way as possible, until the 24 hours can wear off.
The wizard can also offer a second “Dangle Bangle” to send someone up from the party to fetch the man; however, the “Dangle Bangle” will be in effect for that character for 24 hours as well, so this may not be a good solution.
Regardless of what clever methods your party comes up with, once they have brought the man back down, he will be grateful for your efforts. Unfortunately, after this crazy ordeal, he will be even more furious with this incompetent wizard. To fully make matters right, your party will need to find a way to flip the house. They could do this through some magical means (like maybe using a water jet or powerful gust of wind to push the house upright again) or by having everyone working together and succeeding on a strength check to push the house back right-side-up.
If this is done successfully with high rolls on ability checks, the house will suffer little to no damage in the moving process. The aristocrat will suddenly stop his angry grumbles/yelling, depending on how you want to play his mood at this point (or how long he was suspended in the air), and stare in awe at the house. His eyes will light up, and he will suddenly see how perfect it really is. At this point, he will agree to follow through with his purchase and ask to be escorted into his new home (still suffering from “Reverse Gravity’s” effects, remember). Outside the home, the wizard will be so grateful and promise to be more responsible next time. As a reward, he will give you the “Dangle Bangle” (or let you keep the one that might already be clasped to a party member) before heading back home to brag to his parents about his success as a real manly-man homebuilder.
